Thursday, March 25, 2010

WILL HE OR WON'T HE ?

IS ADAM GIAMBRONE RUNNING IN WARD 18 AGAIN ?

NOW Magazine article for this week by Enzo Di Matteo questions "Giambrone's Big Exit? Kicked Around, Councillor Contemplates Dropping Out" http://www.nowtoronto.com/news/story.cfm?content=174244

Reading the article, the only thing that seems clear is that nothing is clear.

He says "I haven't made a decision yet", while at the same time he muses about leaving politics altogether, noting that there are "lots of opportunities internationally" to do something else. "It's not at all a given he will seek re-election in Davenport, although one close colleague on council thinks he will run" says the article.

"Giambrone suggests that his fall from grace didn't make him any new enemies but just galvanized those already opposed to him". He still claims to have great support.

Given that our current councillor has had his judgement called into question numerous times now on a whole range of issues (lies to the media and public, expensing taxi rides when as TTC Chair he should be promoting public transit, getting caught expensing a personal taxi ride as council business, utilizing city resources to put on his own "On The Rocket" show (is it a campaign on the city dime?*), failure to focus on addressing enormous customer dissatisfaction about TTC service... what am I missing? ... why should his abandoned constituents support any bid for his re-election?

* http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/giambrone-back-aboard-his-streetcar-but-show-could-be-derailed/article1510085/ "Toronto's election rules forbid candidates from using city resources for self-promotion during campaign season"

Just some of the media references calling on Mr. Giambrone to quit are:
http://stevemunro.ca/?p=3295
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/toronto/story.html?id=2704589
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/ttc/article/782671--dimanno-time-for-adam-giambrone-to-get-off-bus
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/sueann_levy/2010/02/10/12829346.html
http://www.lfpress.com/comment/2010/03/19/13294266.html
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/toronto/adam-giambrone-has-a-jittery-date-with-destiny/article1491951/

Let me be clear. Adam is an intelligent man of great energy, but a man who has exhibited chronic poor judgement and arrogance. Contrary to how he may try to dismiss ward opposition as a few disgruntled residents, the fact is Mr. Giambrone has alienated more than a few segments of the ward. Remember -
No parking on Dundas? - the Lansdowne narrowing fiasco?

All I can say to Adam is:


"Stand not upon the order of your going, But go at once"
- Shakespeare's MacBeth
because...
DAVENPORT DESERVES BETTER